‘We are going to the right direction… but we are not in ideal world yet’: understanding gender (in)equality within leadership positions in Nordic football governance

This study examines gender (in)equality within leadership positions in football (soccer) governance in two Nordic countries, Finland and Norway. Despite the generally strong state of gender equality in Nordic societies and the removal of major formal barriers, women remain underrepresented among employed staff in leadership positions in football.

The research aims to increase understanding of why women in leadership positions are underrepresented in Nordic football, building on a multi-level framework and addressing a gap in prior research that treated sport as a single, undifferentiated context.

The authors use a case-study approach, drawing on empirical evidence from football organisations in Finland and Norway, to examine the structural and cultural factors affecting women's access to leadership positions.

The findings show that women aiming for leadership positions still face structural and cultural bottlenecks in Nordic football, even where general gender equality is well advanced. The study also identifies factors that have improved gender equality within the case organisations.

The authors describe the work as a descriptive and exploratory study that contributes to the broader conversation on women and leadership in sport, suggesting new means of addressing inequality and opening avenues for further research.